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KotORCG The Jedi
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide Affiliation Page: The Jedi Eons ago, The Jedi Order was whole and in pursuit of a deeper understanding of The Force. However, some were not content with the Jedi path and turned to The Dark Side of The Force. They abandoned their pasts and were driven to the farthest reaches of the galaxy by the remaining Jedi. For thousands of years, The Jedi thought their long-lost traitorous comrades gone and forgotten. But when Hyperspace explorers discover an empire ruled with an iron fist by the descendants of those fallen Jedi, the Order realizes that the exiles had found and enslaved a people called the Sith, taking the name as their own. When the whole of this Sith Empire turns its terrifying might against the Republic in The Great Hyperspace War, The Jedi fully grasp the consequences of that nearly forgotten decision to banish their fallen comrades. Some Jedi denounce the Order's zeal to extinguish every trace of The Sith in the war's aftermath, and many think The Sith extinct. Then the mortal enemy of The Jedi returns in force. First the Jedi Knight Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma turn to The Dark Side and ally themselves with The Krath, a Dark Side cult borne of ancient Sith tradition. As the newly revived Sith Empire thrusts the galaxy into the conflict that would be called The Great Sith War, Ulic Qel-Droma cements his power by defeating the Mandalore and binding The Mandalorians to his cause. The Jedi face not only fanatical soldiers and skilled warriors but also their own comrades; Jedi flee the Order to join the Sith cause, and The Sith begin to regain the numbers they once had during The Great Hyperspace War. During this time, The Jedi Order is at the summit of its power and self-confidence. The Jedi High Council is a largely ceremonial body with no real authority over Jedi. Jedi Masters and Watchmen are entrusted to maintain peace and train the new generations of Jedi, allowing remarkable diversity and freedom of ideas. Though a dichotomy of "Light" and "Dark" remains firmly entrenched, schools of though abound about how to best serve The Force. Jedi Padawans are regularly accepted in their teens and twenties, and even though Jedi Knights rarely take more than two apprentices, a single Jedi Master might have dozens. Unfortunately, The Jedi suffer heavy losses during this war, and by the time The Jedi defeat Qel-Droma and the rest of The Sith Empire their numbers are drastically diminished. Timeline The following events describe the state of The Jedi Order during The Old Republic Era. The Restoration 3,995-3,966 BBY Humbled by The Great Sith War, The Jedi undertake major reform. The Jedi Council seeks to hold Jedi Masters and Watchmen to a higher standard of accountability and asserts more uniform practices. But as The Jedi Code indicates, Jedi do not rule over others, and the Council faces a long, uphill battle toward claiming unquestioned authority. Tension is thick as differing points of view polarize the Order, and the Council seeks a reasonable median. The Republic views The Jedi Council's newfound sternness as positive, but Jedi accustomed to a looser hierarchy see the Council as oppressive in its influence. Conversely, some Jedi are enthusiastic about implementing more stringent policies. The secret Jedi Covenant is one example of a reactionary group that Jedi heroes might oppose. Though few galaxy-spanning threats are apparent during this time, The Jedi must still deal with remnants of The Sith Empire, though this is a lower priority given their need to rebuild the Order. The Jedi expunge The Mecrosa Order from the decadent Tapani Sector, and the Great Hunt turns Jedi into exterminators, slaying Terentateks and other Sithspawn left over from The Great Sith War. However, the Order returns to some semblance of normal operation, with Jedi running down pirates, breaking up crime rings, adjudicating planetary disputes, and fighting pockets of Mandalorian marauders on distant worlds. The Mandalorian Wars 3,965-3,960 BBY Once again the galaxy plunges into war as The Mandalorians, thought disorganized after their defeat in The Great Sith War, begin their onslaught of Republic worlds at the command of Mandalore the Ultimate. Even though Jedi numbers have recuperated, their confidence and solidarity are not. This first interstellar crisis since The Great Sith War highlights the rift in Jedi ideology, with rogue Jedi pressing the Council to help the Republic and the Jedi Council taking a stance of nonviolence. Once the charismatic Jedi Knight Revan defiantly joins The Mandalorian Wars, other Jedi must choose a side. The Revanchists, as those Jedi who choose to defy the Council and join the war are called, are heralded as heroes by the Republic and its citizens. Jedi fighting The Mandalorians experience regular interaction with grateful Republic soldiers as they share the mess halls, battleships, and front lines. Reluctant Jedi are drawn into the war, but some of Revan's followers abandon the fight once they see how thoughtlessly their leader approaches The Dark Side. Some of Revan's recruits are spies, reporting back to the Council, but few are prepared for Revan's betrayal. At Malachor V, Revan confronts Mandalore the Ultimate, drawing him into a trap and activating a superweapon known as The Mass Shadow Generator. The Mandalorians are destroyed, but celebrations are cut short as Revan, already steeped in The Dark Side from their dealings with Sith remnants, flees to The Unknown Regions, taking a large piece of the Republic military with them. The Jedi Civil War 3,959-3,956 BBY When Revan and Malak return from The Unknown Regions at the head of a revitalized Sith Empire, The Jedi are inevitably drawn into the conflict as the Republic fights to defend itself against the might of The Sith. Though The Jedi Civil War is precipitated by a betrayal from within their own ranks, The Jedi have been preparing for battle since The Great Sith War. Witnessing the Sith corruption of Revan's army, The Jedi are again filled with conviction, fighting with impunity beside loyal Republic soldiers. Popular opinion of The Jedi, however, has declined steeply. Failing to comprehend the convoluted causes of the invasion of The Sith Empire, the galactic citizenry understands only that Jedi they once championed against The Mandalorians have now betrayed them; hence, they refer to the conflict as The Jedi Civil War. The Jedi Civil War rages for several years until the Council decides to deal The Sith a major blow. A Jedi strike team, led by legendary Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan, lands on Darth Revan's flagship, captures them, and brings them back to the Republic. The Jedi convert Revan back to The Light Side of The Force, purging them of the corruption of The Sith. With Revan's help The Jedi locate The Star Forge- the source of the Sith military's resurgence- and defeat Darth Malak. Having defeated the Sith leaders, The Jedi continue to struggle against the remnants of The Sith Empire, who retreat behind their borders to recuperate. The Dark Wars 3,955-3,951 BBY With their leaders defeated, The Sith Empire crumbles, and The Jedi face not a single, united Sith front, but instead a dozen or more Sith warlords who fight against the Republic, The Jedi, and each other. Unfortunately for The Jedi, a small cadre of Sith warlords manage to band together long enough to deal a staggering blow to the Order, using assassins to decimate The Jedi, leaving but a handful of survivors. This is a dire time for The Jedi. Reeling from crippling losses sustained during The Jedi Civil War, the Order hobbles on the brink of extinction. The Jedi Council's authority has completely broken down and satellite academies are near-empty. The surviving Jedi are on a desperate mission to find the source of the killings. After The Sith Triumvirate is discovered and eliminated by a surviving Jedi, the few remaining Jedi resurrect the Order from the ashes of its defeat. Knights of the Galactic Republic See also: Knights of the Galactic Republic, Jedi Nonheroic Units The following archetypes can be used by Gamemasters in any Old Republic Campaign. Guardians of Peace and Justice See also: Jedi Heroic Units The Jedi Order as a whole contributes much to the peace and turmoil in the galaxy during this time period, but it is the contributions of individual Jedi that echo loudest through the years. Starships See also: Jedi Vehicles The Jedi Order has little need for its own Starships and Vehicles, relying on the Republic for most of its transportation needs. However, The Jedi Covenant, funded by Draay Trust, makes use of a unique Starship when moving covertly through the stars.